Air combat game



United States Patent Inventor Charles P. Hill Lorain, Ohio Appl. No. 699,195

Filed Jan. 19, 1968 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Assignee Kusan, Inc.

Nashville, Tennessee a corporation of Kentucky 1/1955 Pettit 3,012,780 12/1961 Friedman 272/31(a) X 3,428,310 2/1969 Leath 272/31 FOREIGN PATENTS 938,127 1948 France 272/3l(a) 316,757 1929 Great Britain 272/31(a) Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Raymond N. Matson ABSTRACT: An aerial toy preferably used in conjunction with another similar one detachably supported on the outer end ofa generally horizontal arm for rotation about its universally pivotable, vertical axis, the inner vertical end being manipulatable to simultaneously effect rotary movement of the toy about the axis when inclined due to its weight and to vary its height so that one of the toys may aerially collide with the other to knock it off of its support to effect a kill, movement of the inner vertical end being effected by a manual control rod having a universal connection therewith.

Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Sheet 50 INVENTOR 52 GI'MRLES R HILL BY @Ww fl/di his PATENT AGENT Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Sheet ,g of 2 CH R @WM/f WM .h/S PATENT AGE/VT 1 AIR COMBAT GAME THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to games and more particularly to a game apparatus having a spaced apart pair of aerial toys such as aircraft which are suspended from support means and manually rotated and controlled in overlapping circular paths so as to be on a collision course so that one of the toys will be knocked off its support.

Game apparatus of this general type is known in the art but usually involves checker board movements or is power driven so as to limit the amount of skill and dexterity required of a player and thus automatically lessens and shortens the players interest in the game apparatus and increases the cost of the latter.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved game apparatus of the type described in which skill, dexterity and coordination is required of each player not only to manually effect the aerial toy's rotation in a circular path but to also control its speed, altitude and attitude.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved game apparatus in which aerial toys are supported for manually effected and controlled movement in a circular path about their supports on a collision course, by spaced but connected upstanding means.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel, attractive, readily packageable game apparatus which is of simplified but rugged construction, susceptible of ready and economic manufacture, and oflong life in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, one embodiment of the invention is shown. In this showing:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a pair of spaced, upstanding bases, each rotatably supporting an aerial toy and each comprising alone and in combination the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view thereofto an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one of the rotatably supported aerial toys illustrating the manner in which manual rotation and different altitudes thereof is effected; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view'thereof.

Referring to the drawings, numeral designates the novel game apparatus as a whole which comprises a spaced pair of upstanding supports or bases 12 which are maintained in spaced relation by a connecting member 14, a pair of aerial toys 16, and means 18 for rotatably mounting the toys 16 on the bases or supports 12.

Each upstanding support 12 may be of any desired shape or configuration as long as it is stable and includes a bearingreceiving aperture 20 in its upper surface. As illustrated, the support or pylons 12 are truncated pyramid shaped and mounted on and spaced above any substantially flat surface 21 by corner mounted legs 22. Opposite sides of the truncated pyramids 12 are provided with detachable panels 24 which may be of any desired material and bear any suitable legend, emblem or indicia which preferably is compatible with the nature ofthe game to be played with the apparatus.

While the pylons 12 may readily be formed of any suitable material such as metal, cardboard, plastic, etc., they are preferably formed ofa high strength plastic and include at the baseof the same opposite sides mentioned, spring tongues 26 for holding the panels 24 in their shouldered recesses 28. The pylon legs 22 are provided with flat feet 23 and the innermost feet are provided with upstanding lugs 30.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connecting member 14 comprises a flat board provided with an aperture 32 at each corner to be placed over the lugs 30 so that the board connects and maintains the pylons in a predetermined spaced position. The board may be formed of any suitable material such as cardboard, metal, plastic, etc. and preferably includes decorative matter which may be paint or three dimensional adornment to simulate terrain, etc. such as no mans land between opposing enemy trenches or any compatible scene.

The aerial toys 16 are disclosed as miniature model aircraft each having a rearwardly open hook 32 formed integrally with or secured to the central portion of the aircraft's upper wing. However, while the present game apparatus is intended to enable the simulation of aircraft combat, it is to be understood that the term aerial toy as employed herein is intended to include not only aircraft but also space vehicles, etc. or any toy which may be supported on the pylons 12 by means of to be described.

The aerial toys 16 are mounted on the pylons or supports 12 for rotation in a circular path by means of a wire form 36 extending outwardly of'and generally horizontally from each pylon more than half the distance to the other pylon so as to ensure intersecting or overlapping paths,- and terminating in an eye 38. The inner portion of" the wire form includes u vertical portion 40 which extends downwardly and terminates just above the plane of the pylon feet 23 (FIG. 3). The vertical portion 40 of the wire form 36 is supported for universal pivoting movement in the pylon aperture 20 by a bearing 42 having a spherical lower surface and which is fixed to the portion 40 as desired at any position intermediate its length.

The lower end of the vertical portion 40 of the wire form is fitted into and secured in a short socket member 44 having a collar 46 and terminating at its lower end in ball 48 spaced just below. Universal pivoting of the vertical wire portion 40 and hence arcuate and angular movement of the outer eye 38 of the wire form mounting means 18 to which an aerial toy is suspended by its hook 32 is effected manually by an operating rod 50 having a knob 52 on its outer end and a horizontally disposed, pivot socket plate 54 (FIG. 2) fitted to its inner end by a socket 56. The socket plate is disclike and includes a slot separated, flexible quadrants inwardly shaped to define an aperture 58 of lesser diameter than the ball 48 which may be snapped past the quadrants and thus detachably retained or. universally connected to the pivot socket plate 54.

As is readily apparent in FIGS. 3 and 4, each control rod is operated with a rotary motion about the pivot bearing 42 in the pylon aperture 20 to cause each aerial toy 36 to move in a circular path. It will be appreciated, that if the control rod 50 is moved from the solid line to the dotted line position, the toy l6 and its supporting arm 36 will move from position AA to position BB due to the effect of gravity on the suspended mass of the toy 16.

Thus, circular movement of the toy 16 is obtained by moving the lower end of the wire portion 40 circularly by the rod 50 at varying speeds, and at various angles with respect to the vertical to vary the altitude above the connecting member 14 or the flat surface 21.

The purpose of the game is to see which player can make the most kills", a kill being made when one player knocks the others toy or aircraft out of the sky" and suitable scoring means such as markers (not shown) are provided. The two aircraft are rotated in the same direction so that as they pass going in opposite directions over the connecting member 14, they will collide if they have the same altitude due to their intersecting or overlapping circular paths or .orbits. The described structure is such that with practice and some skill, the aircraft can be made to go upwardly or downwardly at either inclined or horizontal planes, and can be manipulated so as to control collisions to knock an opponents hook-supported aircraft off its eye 38.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subdetachably engageable with the hook of and supporting one of said toys; and means including said vertic'al portion for simultaneously manually maneuvering each of said toys to variable altitudes and in a variable circular path partially overlapping the path of the other of said toys to effect a collision therewith to dislodge one of said toys from its supporting horizontal portion.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein said means also includes an operating rod universally pivoted to said vertical portion for manual manipulation thereof to effect said variable circular path ofsaid supported toys.

3. The combination recited in claim 1, the lower end ofsaid vertical portions terminating in a ball and having a collar spaced therefrom; and means universally connected to said vertical portion between said ball and said collar to effect said manual maneuvering.

4. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein said universally connected means comprises an operating rod terminating. in a flexible socket plate snapable over said ball.

5. A game apparatus comprising. in combination, an upstanding support; an aerial toy having a supporting hook; and a support having a horizontal portion, and a vertical portion universally pivoted in said support; said horizontal portion terminating in a hook detachably engageable with the hook of and supporting said aerial toy; and means including said vertical portion for simultaneously manually maneuvering said toy to variable altitudes and in a variable circular path to simulate the takeoff, flight. and landing of an aircraft; said means also including an operating rod universally pivoted to said vertical portion for manual manipulation thereof to effect said variable circular path of said supported toy.

6. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, an upstanding support; an aerial toy having a supporting hook; and a support having a horizontal portion, and a vertical portion universally pivoted in said support; a said horizontal portion terminating in a hook detachably engageable with the hook of and supporting said aerial. toy; and means including said vertical portion for simultaneously manually maneuvering said toy to a variable altitudes and in a variable circular path to simulate the takeoff, flight, and landing of an aircraft; the lower end of said vertical portion terminating in a ball and having a collar spaced therefrom; said means also including additional means universally connected to said vertical portion between said ball and said collar to effect said manual maneuvering.

7. The combination recited in claim 6, wherein said additional means comprises an operating rod terminating in a flexible socket plate snapable over said ball. 

